Major League Baseball is currently holding its winter meeting in Phoenix, Arizona, and a big part of the agenda is the consideration given to major will changes to speeding up the game. For nearly two decades since the last rule change, baseball has continued to be a very time-consuming pastime, and as such there is a major preoccupation with a weakening of its fan base that is also aging.
One of the obstacles to the rule changes in baseball is contained in the collective bargaining agreement between the Players Association and Major League Baseball (basically the club owners) that requires that MLB obtain the consent of the players union before any rule change can be adopted. The owners can mandate a rule change only if the union and its members are advised of the pending changes a year before the rule change goes into effect.
Late Wednesday, 22 February 2017, in the afternoon, MLB announced that they had reached an agreement with the players union to allow a player to take first base by an intentional base on balls (walk) without having to actually pitch to that batter. Among other issues are how many visits a manager will be allowed to the pitching mound; and restricting the time between pitches.
Whatever is decided in the United States will affect how baseball is played in the Dominican Republic.
23 February 2017
